Beesley’s Point:  Less travelled, but not forgotten

Dear Shore Runners:

Like most of us here in South Jersey I’ve driven down to the shore more times than I can count.  I usually head down to Ocean City, my favorite shore town, and each time I pass a sign that I’ve always been curious about:

 

I admit I have never taken this route anyway, like so many others who are forced to u-turn at the bridge entrance, so I did my homework about the history behind this sign and found a great contestant for Forgotten Towns 2.0!  Beesley’s point has a great history, one that would’ve intrigued Beck if this had been going on during his time.

On Goldin’s Pond

                When William Goldin settled on a strip of land on the Great Egg Harbor Bay he started the momentum that would rise like a roller coaster, and eventually the descent that would change a once popular beach community.  Founded in mid to late 1600s by the Goldin family Beesley’s point changed names over the years eventually naming this unincorporated town after one of the early owners of the Tuckahoe Inn.  For a long time it connected Cape May to the rest of the country via ferry until 1927 when the local auto club petitioned to put in a toll bridge.

Roar to the Shore

                With The Beesley Point Bridge in place the small shore town turned into a thriving summer shore town!  However, as the sign above indicates, the bridge is closed.  In fact it has been since 2004 when one of the concrete support pillars collapsed.  The estimated cost of the repairs was more than the revenue the bridge was bringing in.  The bridge was demolished earlier this year (2013) despite efforts by certain interest groups to save it.  Beesley’s Point is now NJ’s largest cul-de-sac.

The Survival-Spirit!

 Town citizens and officials have mixed feelings about the now missing bridge.  Some think that it’s a benefit that the bridge is gone as it will free up available wetlands area.  Others, like the local anglers and the Tuckahoe Inn, who benefited from the bridge’s existence, are feeling the loss of the bridge, not to mention those in town who now have to drive a few extra miles to get to Somers Point.                  Nonetheless, the neighbors along Route 9 who used to have motorcycles and cars rushing past their house are content with the quietness they now have on their street.  As for the Tuckahoe Inn and other local businesses, they are staying afloat financially even those business might isn’t as strong as it was a decade ago.  Beesley’s Point is still one of the flagship towns on Upper Township because of the old homes, including the still standing residence of the town’s namesake.  For visitors there are antique shops, restaurants, and a beach that stretches only half as wide as other nearby shore towns, but still enough to enjoy the ocean and soak up some sun!

 

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